Choosing the right system

For servers we recommend discussing your requirements with the Data Centre.

Desktop PCs

These personal computers are available in 3 case sizes:

Small Form Factor (SFF)

Tower (TWR)

Ultra-Slim Desk Top (USDT).

Typically case size is not an indication of power or capability, simply possible expandability. These desktop systems are versatile and very expandable. They will cater for most needs and offer the best power for price on the market.

They only support "single slot" motherboards (systems with multiple processor slots are classed as workstations) however you can now have up to 4 processor "cores" in a single slot, delivering a lot of power.

The current HP EliteDesk series can be built to order with a range of processors, memory configurations and other components as required. They are built to last and are easily supported within the College. The College has over 10,000 of these systems in service and, presently, we find them to be capable of five years in service with few problems.

A 64 bit operating system required on any system with 4GB RAM or more to address the full amount of memory. A 32 bit OS will only address 3.5GB RAM no matter how much is installed.

Workstations

Workstations are high performance systems designed for dedicated processor-intensive operation. They will develop significantly more power than a desktop when optioned above a certain level, but they cost significantly more.

Workstations typically offer two processor slots and can address up to 36 cores. They will be equipped with Intel Xeon or AMD Opteron processors, and will use ECC RAM (error correcting). Higher spec systems will offer 15,000 rpm SAS disks, as well as SSD drives, with RAID if required. They will come with vendor certifications to run certain applications to the exact manufacturer specifications and can address as much as 256GB of RAM.

Laptops/notebooks

The HP contract offers a wide range of laptops to choose from. There are several criteria to consider when deciding to purchase a laptop, such as:

Price

Screen size

Battery life

Weight (for portability)

Fit for purpose

Warranty services

Configurable options.

Purchasing of non-College recommended machines is typically discouraged as these can be difficult to configure correctly to work on the College network and use College supported software. The IT Faculty Support teams may also charge for supporting and maintaining non College recommended machines.

How do I estimate prices and generate a quote?

Where possible, please use iProcurement as the primary source of information regarding current pricing and configuration. If you cannot access iProcurement, you can generate an online quote via the HP purchasing (College username and password required).

If the quote is for a non-catalogue item or configuration, contact the ICT Shop for assistance in placing the order.

Stock

We hold small stocks of the current College recommended desktops and monitors for resale to departments and researchers where there is an urgent requirement. All stock is VAT payable. Stock purchase requests for standard desktops and monitors need to be logged via the ICT Service Desk, or you can contact the ICT Shop. For all non-standard items, you will need to place your order with HP via iProcurement.

If you are entitled to any form of VAT exemption you must use iProcurement to place your order as we cannot hold VAT exempt buffer stock.